Stargazers Are in for a Treat on Friday

This Friday night, a rare triple threat of celestial events is happening.

A comet, full moon, and penumbral lunar eclipse will all appear in the night sky. The lunar eclipse is scheduled to begin at 7:43 p.m. This, according to NASA. The eclipse will occur as Earth blocks the sun's light, which will cast a shadow known as penumbra. The moon may appear to be red or mostly red during the rare occurrence.

The eclipse will be followed by an even more sporadic event. Comet 45P will pass by Earth at its closest trajectory. Based on the best estimates from NASA, the comet will be 7.4 million miles away. While the comet has been visible from Earth, via telescope for months, it will be visible with a pair of binoculars on Friday night into Saturday night. The best time to view will be Saturday morning, before dawn.

Although it will be possible to view the comet over the course of the next few nights, it will not be possible to view the comet again until 2022.